Charlotte, NC vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charlotte, NC outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $15,854 versus $7,986, a 99% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Wichita, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 63/100 (grade C) for Charlotte, NC — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $2,690 for Charlotte, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Charlotte, NC at $1,571 per resident and in Wichita, KS at $874.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Wichita, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Charlotte spends 98.5% more per capita than Wichita ($7,868/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $541 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $3,193 |
| Other | $4,866 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $463 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $441 |
| Health | $0 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $874 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $2,618 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $70 |
| Other | $3,448 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.